October 1, 2026
New tenant screening laws take effect in Maryland: Know your rights!
In 2020, Maryland passed a law banning source of income discrimination in housing. “Source of income” refers to how a person pays their rent, and includes Housing…
Equal Rights Center
Equal access,
opportunity,
and fair treatment
So individuals and communities can thrive.
Meet the Equal Rights Center
Washington, DC Photo credits
Housing discrimination?
If you believe you’ve experienced housing discrimination in the greater Washington, DC region, contact us.
Put fair housing
into practice
ERC helps our corporate, government, and non-profit clients understand and maintain compliance with civil rights laws.
Explore training and testingWhat testing
can change
The ERC’s core strategy for identifying unlawful and unfair discrimination is civil rights testing.
See MHRP in actionA chatbot giving different answers
What testing found
In the course of routine compliance testing for a national multifamily housing provider, ERC discovered that the company’s automated chatbot was using discriminatory language.
What changed
We informed the company about these concerns, which they corrected immediately, thereby ensuring future website visitors would receive accurate, unbiased information aligned with company policy.
Unclear tenant-screening criteria
What testing found
During routine compliance testing of one corporate client, ERC testing found that leasing agents were not being transparent about their application criteria, instead encouraging applicants to apply and “find out.”
What changed
ERC flagged these concerns to the housing provider and helped them incorporate a new policy document for leasing agents to navigate questions about criminal record screenings. Follow-up testing demonstrated that these efforts changed agent responses and increased compliance with fair housing best practices.
Guidance you can use
Know your rights.
Find a way forward.
People with disabilities deserve accessible housing, but making home accessible requires collaboration and compliance.
Browse resourcesFrom our work
More from ERCHelp advance equal rights
We’ve been advancing civil rights for more than 40 years. Help us continue the fight.